Direct Thermal Printable (DTP) Films – What are they and why do we need them?
                     Direct Thermal Printable 
(DTP) Films – What are they 
and why do we need them?

If your business or work ever dealt with airline baggage tags or food labels and 
barcode applications, you must have come across the term DTP films, and 
might be confused as to what they are and why exactly do we need them.
What are Direct Thermal Printable (DTP) Films?
DTP films are BOPP based films with a proprietary coating which enables the 
formation of an image or impression on the films upon contact with the heated 
print head of a thermal printer. A protective layer is generally applied to protect 
the coated surface from mechanical abrasion, damage due to climatic factors 
or chemical products etc. Direct thermal printing is generally used for tagging 
and labeling applications where elaborate printing is not required and printing 
is done only for critical information like barcodes.
In direct thermal printable film, heat is used to print the image. This printing 
technology uses a matrix which contains “ink” in a colourless form as a 
coating on the surface. The application of heat from the print head of thermal 
printer activates the ink to develop colour and the image is formed. Drying of 
coating is very critical and normally takes place at low temperature to avoid 
the pre-image formation.
Where are DTP films required?
DTP films are used in varied applications such as:
● Airline baggage tags
● Ready-made food labels
● Industrial bar code applications
● Retail price marking
● Logistics labels
● Courier industry labels
● Fruits & Meat labels
So, if any of your businesses include the usage of any of the above-
mentioned applications, you should definitely think about moving to DTP 
films to improve upon those compared to traditional methods.
Where are DTP films required?
DTP films are used in varied applications such as:
● Airline baggage tags
● Ready-made food labels
● Industrial bar code applications
● Logistics labels
● Fruits & Meat labels
So, if any of your businesses include the usage of any of the above-
mentioned applications, you should definitely think about moving to DTP 
films to improve upon those compared to traditional methods.
Why Cosmo Films for DTP Films?
Cosmo Films offers direct thermal label films that serve a host of 
applications including information labeling, manufacturing tracking and 
weight & price labeling. The product portfolio includes BOPP based non-
coated and top-coated DTP films, available in thickness varieties of 
60/75/100 microns. The top coated direct thermal printable film is water and 
solvent resistant and can be used for tough weather labeling such as deep 
freeze product labeling, industrial bar coding, track & trace and logistics.
A superior product, in addition to years of trust, and service that Cosmo has 
been providing to its extensive list of customer’s makes a compelling 
proposition vis-à-vis other players in the market.